Imprimatur Joannes Battely RRmo Patri ac D no D no Wilhelmo Archiep Cantuar. à sacris domesticis Ex Aedib Lambeth Maii 17. 1686. A SERMON PREACHED ON Saint MARK 's Day MDCLXXXVI IN THE PARISH CHURCH of St Paul's Covent Garden BY SYMON PATRICK Rector there LONDON Printed by J. M. for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty 1686. A SERMON PREACHED On St MARK 's Day 1686. EPHES. iv 14. beginning That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine c. THese Words which are part of the Epistle for this Day contain a principal reason why God furnished his Church with such variety of Gifts and so many Ministers of the Gospel of his Grace as you read of in the foregoing Verses Where the Apostle observes ver 8. that after our Blessed Lord was raised from the lower parts of the Earth and ascended up into Heaven He gave gifts unto men and filled all things ver 10. And some he proceeds to shew were made Apostles who were the chief Ministers of Christ the Witnesses of his Resurrection the great Luminaries of the World by the laying on of whose hands the Holy Ghost was given unto others And next to them he placed Prophets who were inspired persons that had an excellent faculty of expounding the old Scriptures which prophesied of Christ and foretold the things that they now preached and did also in some cases foretell like the Prophets in antient time what was to come to pass hereafter in the Church of Christ After whom followed Evangelists of which Rank was St. Mark whose Memory is this Day celebrated They were men who accompanied the Apostles and went about with them in their travels to be sent by them as they were by Christ either to preach the Gospel where they could not go themselves or to confirm and strengthen those in the Faith whom they had already converted Thus St. Mark attended upon St. Peter whose Disciple he was as not only Eusebius and St. Hierom but Irenaeus himself who was more antient assure us He is thought to be the person mentioned by St. Peter in the latter end of his first Epistle v. 13. where he calls him Marcus my Son And is said by the Authors before mentioned to have written his Gospel at the request of the Converts of St. Peter from whom they say he went to Alexandria and there founded a Church of which he himself was the first Bishop Now after all these Apostles Prophets and Evangelists last of all there were Pastors and Teachers Who were Apostolical men setled and fixed in those Churches which had been gathered by the Apostles to be their constant Governours and Instructers when the Apostles could no longer stay with them All these were indued with Divine Gifts according to the measure that Christ pleased to bestow upon them as you read ver 7. And he bestowed these Gifts on them for three ends which are named ver 12. First for the perfecting of the Saints That is to compleat those who were already called into the state of Christianity to supply their defects and to make up what was wanting which is the meaning of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly For the work of the Ministry that they might bring others into the Church who were not yet made Christians which seems to be the proper work of the Ministry as it stands here distinguished from the former and from what follows Which was Thirdly for the edifying of the Body of Christ the building up the whole Church together in knowledge and piety till they all came into the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God and grew to be such perfect men as not to be carried about any more like children with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay in wait to deceive This in short is the coherence of my Text in which I shall observe to you these three things I. That this Apostolical Church of Ephesus was disturbed with variety of Doctrines and with Controversies in Religion II. That it was a childish thing to be unsettled by this variety or contrariety of Doctrines III. That God did not leave his Church without the means of being settled and stedfast in the true Faith of Christ notwithstanding those Blasts of contrary Doctrines and notwithstanding the cunning and craft wherewith they were managed I. First I say these words suppose that the Church to which the Apostle writes was disturbed by variety of Doctrine and by Controversies in matters of Religion For when he saith that henceforth they should not be tossed to and fro c. it suggests that they had been wavering and unsettled apt to be moved away from the Faith of the Gospel by the impetuous assaults that were made upon them by some cunning Deceivers I call them impetuous because these Doctrines which were different from or contrary unto the Faith of the Gospel were pressed with such earnestness that the Apostle compares them to a Blast of Wind and not barely to a Blast but to a Storm or Tempest Which is the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tossed to and fro as a Ship is in a furious Storm for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence it is derived literally imports signifying here that the false Teachers who disturbed the Church were very vehement or rather violent making up in confidence what they wanted in truth Such were the Jewish Deceivers whom the Apostle in the iii. Philip. 2. compares to Dogs who impudently assaulted the faithful and endeavoured to rend and tear the Church all in pieces Such were the Philosophical Pretenders by whom the Colossians were in danger to be forcibly carried away from the Faith and made a prey to a Company of Thieves and Robbers 2 Coloss 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit Which last word as well as my Text gives you the reason why I said the Church was troubled with the impetuous assaults of some Deceivers For they added much craft subtilty and juggling to their violence and zealous confidence Which is compared here in the latter part of this Verse to that sleight of hand wherewith cunning Gamesters cogg the Die and is further illustrated by a second word importing such subtilty as we have no one English word to express and therefore render it by two cunning craftiness and that thirdly so artificially managed that it was according to a method of deceit or an orderly proceeding in their Cheats as the last words are in the Greek which we translate Whereby they lye in wait to deceive I note these things very briefly only to shew what manner of men they were who troubled the Church of Christ in the Apostles days They were bold and they were crafty confident and cunning busie and boisterous and withal very subtil and insinuating So busie they
than the Lord Christ's was Can the Disciples convince men more than their Master did If that be a hopeless thing then there will be Controversies even about this Infallibility Which leads to the Third thing III. It appears plainly from hence that God never intended all errors should be kept out of the Church by an Infallible Authority No directly contrary St. Paul saith 1 Cor. xi 19. There must be heresies that they who are approved may be made manifest That is God thinks it just that men should be permitted to follow their own foolish conceits when they will not be guided by the plain directions of his holy Gospel By which means sincere and upright men are discovered and all men are tried whether they will obey the truth or turn aside unto unrighteousness There must be a tryal made of men and therefore such order must not be taken as to make it impossible there should be any heresies No God hath left it more than possible there should for there must be Heresies that there may be approbation made of Believers whether they will sincerly adhere to the plain truths of Christian Religion or part with them for pleasing and gainful errors Besides if God had intended to prevent this by establishing an Infallible Guide to whom all should resort He would have declared this intention the most plainly of all other things And have told us also where to find such an Authority and not have left this to be controverted and disputed which was intended to be the end of Controversies More especially if any one particular Church was to have this authority over all other Churches it would have been most needful that this should have been so clearly taught as to have put it out of all doubt For we can see no reason not so much as that of convenience why one Church should have it and all others want it but in reason every Church should have it if it were to be had that men might not be put to the trouble of going far for Infallible direction And as for that Church which now pretends to it there is the clearest evidence that no Church anciently thought it to have more Authority than other Churches who lookt upon themselves as her equals I speak of the Church of Rome whose Determinations and Traditions in matters of Doctrine were rejected by St. Cyprian Firmilianus and the rest of the African Bishops who write to the Pope as every one knows who reads St. Cyprian's Epistles not as their Superiour but as their good Brother their Collegue their fellow Priest rebuking him with much sharpness taxing him for pretending vainly * V. Epist LXXII LXXV Edit Oxon. to Apostolical Authority where he had none and for not conforming himself to the rule of Truth and Peace delivered by the Apostle and in downright terms affirming that every Bishop in the administration of his Church hath power to act according to his own judgment and that none could impose Laws upon another And as for matters of Ceremony all the Bishops of the East refused to submit to him challenging as much Authority from St. John as the Roman Bishop did from St. Peter This is notorious in the famous Question about Easter and sufficient to show the truth of what Aeneas Sylvius could not but confess before he came to be a Pope that little respect was had to the Roman Church before the Council of Nice And that Council expresly decreed the ancient Customs should be every where observed By which Antioch and Alexandria claimed the same Authority over the Churches subject to their Jurisdiction that the Roman Bishop did within his Diocess And thus it continued for many years after nor do the greater part by far of the Christian World at this day own any such Authority over them as the Bishop of Rome now challenges Let us not therefore be shaken by this Wind of doctrine no more than by any other wherewith this Church hath been troubled For there is no such Infallible Authority left in the Church for the deciding all Controversies much less can that Church lay the sole Claim to that Authority there is left in it or if it could justly pretend to the highest it would not be able to do what a far more miraculous Authority could not effect and there are other means of unity and peace prescribed by God which if men will not embrace there must be discords and dissentions whereby the integrity or falseness of every mans heart will be discovered What Means those are you shall see anon when I have spoken a few words of the Second Observation which now follows II. It is a childish thing to be unsettled in Religion because of this difference or contrariety of Doctrine wherewith the Church is at any time troubled So the Apostle might well call it because there being as I have lately shown you a form of wholsome words left by them in every Church which they planted a Summary of Sound Doctrine called the Faith once delivered to the Saints there could be no reason that any men who had this deposited with them should be unresolved what to believe and unsettled by the Preaching of other Doctrine but their instability proceeded merely from the weakness of their understanding and the strength of their passions These two things are remarkable in little Children as their understandings are weak so their passions are strong and their desires violent From whence it comes to pass that they are not only credulous but fickle and new-fangled as we speak delighting in that to day which they throw away to morrow These make them rash and hasty apt to quarrel one with another about little differences and dispose them to be taken with empty shows and pageantry with things that affect the senses and have a glistering appearance though void of all inward goodness and solid worth and usefulness In short while we are Children in understanding we are naturally injudicious and consequently inconstant We do not judge aright of things that differ and so are carried uncertainly to and fro as the Apostle here speaks from one thing to another and many times from better to worse especially when we meet with confident people who easily impose upon us This is a very dangerous estate and therefore it highly concerns us to get out of it by growing in knowledge and wisdom imitating little Children only in our endeavours to be without guile but labouring as the Apostle speaks in understanding to be men and to have a thorough knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus This St. Peter prescribes as a remedy against unstedfastness in the conclusion of his second Epistle Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things beware lest ye also being carried away by the errour of the wicked fall from your stedfastness but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Who it is most certain hath not left us in doubt
were that as a Storm of Wind troubles the whole Sea upon which it falls so these men disturbed the Church of Christ every where throughout the World For I think I may safely affirm That there was not so much as one Church mentioned in the Holy Writings but was disturbed if not in danger to be overturned by these Blasts of strange Doctrine which like a Tempest raged in all places where the Gospel was preached No body can be ignorant how the Church of Jerusalem the very Mother Church was troubled by men that pressed a very dangerous errour upon them For they who taught Except men were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved came from Judaea as you read xv Act. 1. In the Church of Rome it self there were those who taught that men must be justified by the works of the Law as appears from St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans In the Corinthian Church there were those who denied even the Doctrine of the Resurrection and thereby went about to subvert the Christian Faith The Churches of Galatia were so infected with Judaical Errours that they were almost removed from him that called them unto the Grace of Christ into another Gospel i. Gal. 6. The Philippians as I said before had Dogs among them Evil-workers who were of the Concision as the Apostle Sarcastically calls them iii. Philip. 2. The Colossians stood in need of a caution against vain Philosophy and such false reasonings as under a colour of humility seduced men unto the Worshipping of Angels ii Coloss 8 18. And so I might lead you through all the rest till we come to the seven famous Churches of Asia unto whom our Lord Christ himself directed particular Letters after he went to Heaven From which we learn that there were such impudent Deceivers among them as pretended to the Gift of Prophecy and yet seduced Christ's Servants to Idolatry ii Revel 20. In short there were depths of Satan v. 24. profound Mysteries of Diabolical deceit to overthrow the Faith of Christ And if it were thus immediately after our Saviour's Ascension to Heaven and while the Apostles were alive who were full of the Holy Ghost no wonder that the Church was afterward infested with divers Heresies as appears by the first four General Councils wherein they were condemned Particularly this Church of Ephesus and those in Asia depending on it whom S. Paul forewarns of this when he took his leave of them and told them they should see his face no more that after his departure grievous Wolves would enter in among them not sparing the Flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them xx Act. 29 30. And therefore it ought still to be the less wonder to any of us if the condition of the Church be the same now at this great distance from the Apostolical times since men were so bold as in the very face of the Apostles at least as soon as their Backs were turned on any place to contradict their Doctrine and teach another Gospel From which we may evidently draw these three Conclusions I. First There is no cause to forsake that Church of which we are Members or so much as to have the worse opinion of it because there are contentions in it about matters of Religion They that have had a principal hand in raising Disputes and making Divisions upon them are the men that object this to us and make it an Argument against us But without any reason for when they have said all that they can we have as much Unity of Faith among us as they had in the first Churches planted by the Apostles themselves In which there were several Winds of Doctrine stirring and many Errors which made as great a disturbance then if not greater than hath been made among us Who in the main Articles of Faith are all of one mind And our Differences are in lesser and secondary things which belong not to the Primitive Doctrines of the Christian Religion Which whosoever opposes we owne him not but look upon him as in a Faction against the Church Which is not thereby broken nor the Unity of its Faith destroyed For though some men have preached strange Doctrines and drawn Disciples after them which is no more than they did in the Apostles days yet they have not prevailed against this Church nor overturned its Faith But as boisterous Waves to keep to the Metaphor in the Text beating against a Rock dissolve into Froth so have these Blasts of contrary Doctrine made a vain and fruitless disturbance among us Some looser parts of the people have been carried away to their own shame not ours while the main Body of our Church like an unmoveable Rock still persists in firm Unity in as great Unity as was antiently in any of the Apostolical Churches and that 's abundantly sufficient II. Secondly We may further conclude from what hath been said that if we knew where to find an Infallible Guide and Judge it would not put an end to Controversies nor hinder errors from springing up and pestering the Church of Christ For when there was such an Authority it could not do this which is desired All allow the Apostles to have been Infallible and yet you see there were various winds of Doctrine and some of them very dangerous in the Churches which they planted Whereby those Churches were divided into Parties which by the Apostolical Authority could not be perfectly united St. Paul for instance interposes his Authority with the Church of Corinth in his first Epistle for the making up all divisions which he heard were among them 1 Cor. i. 10 11 c. And yet notwithstanding it appears by his second Epistle xi 2 3 4 13 14. that they still continued so that their minds were in danger to be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And the Epistle of Clemens to that Church not long after informs us that these divisions and contentions grew into a kind of Sedition one against another More than this the Author of our faith Christ Jesus though he spake with the highest Authority yet did not by this put an end to the disputes that were between the Pharisees and Saducees and other Sects among the Jews No it was so far from having this effect that the Church of the Jews who were instructed by this Infallible Teacher fell into the most damnable error not only rejecting him but putting him to death Yes will some say because they did not own his Infallibility True But can any other Teacher though he could justly pretend to this Prerogative hope to prevail with men when the Saviour of the world could not Will any man or Church expect to be universaly acknowlledged and make an end of all differences when the Son of God could not meet with such regard and acceptance in the world Is it possible for any mens Infallibility could we suppose it to be better attested
is it not as good a Judge of any thing as of their Authority What reason can be given for using our Reason in this single affair and relinquishing it ever after Is it not the same Reason still Was it not given us for our constant Safe-Conduct By what reason then do we trust others to chuse our Religion for us without examining whether what they say be true or no but taking it barely upon their word How do they know that to be true which they propound to us May not we know it by the same means and rely not merely upon their Authority but upon the same reason that they do For they say what they deliver to us either with reason or without If with reason we ought to judge whether it be a good reason or no for why should not we judge as well as they since God hath intrusted us with a faculty whereby to judge If without reason we ought not to follow an Authority which presses things to be believed upon no ground but to look upon those as the most sincere and faithful Directors who would have us to examine and prove consider and ponder all things well before we receive them and who offer to us their assistance therein that we may see with our own eyes what God himself hath delivered to us in his holy Word Which brings me to the next thing Secondly In this proof which we make of every thing propounded to us the Scriptures ought to be the Rule whereby we judge We have no other I have formerly shewn you and they are abundantly sufficient for us and so authentick that our Blessed Lord himself and his Apostles after him constantly appealed to them for the proof of their Doctrine And as they referred all men to the old Scriptures saying no other thing but what the Prophets and Moses did say should come xxvi Act. 22. so we can send them no whither else for their information but to the same Scriptures and to the New Testament according to which if any men do not speak they are not to be received Nay St. Austine ventured to imitate St. Paul and to say * L. III. contra liter Petiliani cap. 6. Let him be accursed whosoever he be I will not say we who are not worthy to be compared with him that said THOUGH WE but though he be an Angel from Heaven who declares to you any thing of Christ or of his Church or of any other matter that belongs to our Faith and Life besides that which ye have received in the Legal and Evangelical Scriptures Unto which the same St. Paul sends Timothy himself for his instruction in both his Epistles to him Where he commands him to give attendance to reading viz. of the holy Scriptures which he had known from a Child and which were able he tells him to make him wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus They being given by inspiration of God that even a man of God like the antient Prophets might be perfected and thoroughly furnished unto all good works for every part of his employment 2 Tim. iii. 15 16. Which place I have explained not long ago and now mention it again because the Apostle directs him to these holy Writings as a means to preserve him in the true Christian belief ver 14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures c. What we have learned out of the holy Scriptures we have an assurance of we know from whom they come and are certain we are taught by God when we read these holy Books but cannot be assured of any other Tradition which is not contained here and therefore ought to continue stedfast in our adherence to the Scriptures and both to suspect those who would draw us from this hold and stick to those Guides who bid us stick to this and prove all things by it For it is evident they have no mind to deceive us but do in effect bid us believe God and follow his directions and rely upon his Authority who cannot mislead us and will not suffer us to be mis-led if we continue in the things which we have learnt out of the holy Scriptures For taking them to be our Rule we shall neither admit any thing which is contrary to that Rule nor shall we take any thing to be an essential part of the Christian Faith which is not there delivered unto us For it is not consistent with the notions we have of God's infinite Goodness and Wisdom to believe He would give us a Rule which is defective in necessary things No He hath abundantly provided here for our Instruction in all such matters and as we ought to refuse that which contradicts any part of these holy Books so we ought not to think it necessary that we should entertain any thing which they do not teach us And teach us plainly and evidently for in all necessary things they are very clear and perspicuous Else they could not be a Rule unto us but we must seek for some other The Apostle's Creed for instance which the Ancients called the immoveable Rule of Faith a short Summary of Christian Belief beyond which as they speak we ought not to seek for Faith together with the Nice Creed and Athanasius's which expound the Apostles ought thoroughly to be received and believed for that they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture But whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation This is the Doctrine of our Church in its sixth and eighth Articles unto which let us strictly keep if we would not be carried to and fro uncertainly with the blasts of vain Doctrines which have no certain Warrants in the holy Scriptures and therefore are not to be received or are contrary to them and therefore are to be rejected Here we must fix and believe that here we are safe For the Scriptures want nothing to compleat us in Christian wisdom which they do not wrap up in obscurity but as far as is needful give us a clear understanding of the Doctrines of Faith And make us understand withal if we please to consider them that having laid our foundation well in a firm belief of those great and necessary things which out of the Scriptures are summed up in the Creeds before named we need not trouble our selves about other matters which are not so evident but make it our whole business in this world to raise the solid Superstructure of a holy Life upon the Foundation of Faith in Christ This is the Second thing the holy Scriptures are the Rule whereby we must prove all things from which if we do not depart we cannot be led into any
dangerous errors Provided Thirdly that in the use and application of this Rule we take the direction of our Spiritual Guides and Governors In some things as I said there is difficulty and where there is none the cunning of deceivers may so perplex things and intangle our understandings that we may not know what to think In which case especially we ought to seek for the assistance of those that are better able to judge than our selves Which is the very means of stability and constancy which the Apostle here recommends in my Text. For having shown how God appointed several orders of men in the Church not only Apostles Prophets and Evangelists but also Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints c. he lets them know that by these means God expected that they should not be henceforth children tossed to and fro and carried away with every wind of Doctrine For this purpose were Pastors and Teachers more particularly setled in the Church that they might be Instruments of setling others After the Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists had revealed the mind and will of God to men Pastors and Teachers were left in every Church to help them both to understand what the other great men had revealed and to detect the forgeries of false Apostles who went about to supplant the Christian Doctrine These Gifts as the Apostle here calls them were bestowed last of all being intended to remain after the other ceased And accordingly you are blessed with them in this Age as they were in the beginning and they are placed over you for the same end that they were at first that you may advise with them as persons whose business it is to study the holy Scriptures and to guide God's people by them in the way of truth For this they are better qualified than any other persons and therefore ought to be consulted by the people Who must not be so bold as to lean merely to their own understanding but listen also unto them not indeed as infallible but as men of the best understanding both by their Office and by their Study pains and experience whereby they are enabled to discover the frauds and sophistry of Deceivers and to open better than any else can do the true meaning of the holy Scriptures Their Guidance therefore the Apostle to the Hebrews also commends as a remedy against their instability in Religion xiii 7 8 9. Remember them that have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow c. Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein Where one mark is given them whereby to know what Guides to follow Such as established their hearts in true grace and goodness not those that troubled them with unprofitable Disputes about meats and drink and such like things which were pressed by Judaical Teachers but made those who observed them not one jot the better if they did not make them worse by taking off their hearts from more substantial Duties And truly there is the same mark of distinction at this day All men follow some Guides or other but they alone ought to be followed who lead men not by their own authority but by the direction of the holy Scriptures whose main study it is to understand the Scriptures themselves and then to make others understand them who do not hide those Books from the people but exhort them to look into them and read them seriously and to learn therein above all things to be godly and vertuous to mortifie all evil affections and passions to purifie themselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God Such Guides you are bound in Conscience to advise withal and not lightly to forsake their Conduct For if they of the contrary perswasion follow their Guides with an implicite Faith and a kind of blind obedience being scarce permitted to use their Reason how can our people answer it to God if they will not take heed to those who bid them open their eyes and see and examine and prove what they offer to them by the Rule of the holy Scriptures in the use of the most impartial and unbiassed Reason which God hath bestowed upon them and wherewith they can assist them It is not easie to apprehend how great a sin they are guilty of who neglect such guidance And I must take the freedom to tell you That to listen to other pretended Guides neglecting those of the Church of England under whom ye have been bred whose conversation you know by whom you have been long instructed and had sufficient proof of their abilities is an inexcusable sin and an unaccountable folly For in all reason you ought to have a greater reverence to the Priests of our Church than to those of any other Communion who cannot be presumed to know better than ours do nor to have more concern and care to guide you aright than ours have And therefore as none of you I hope will be carried away from the Faith of this Church by any wind of Doctrine whatsoever so you will not I trust so much as entertain a doubt of the truth here believed without consulting with the Pastors and Teachers of it who are able to preserve you from falling by Gods grace and blessing upon your and their honest endeavours You ought to make a great conscience of this if you chance to be staggered by any objection repair to those whom God hath appointed to settle your minds and preserve you upright Nay if there were nothing of Conscience in it yet it is but a due respect to them under whose ministry you have many years lived not to forsake them upon any suggestions whatsoever without hearing what they can answer to them nor to think them less able and willing to direct you than any other persons or less honest and careful in the directions they give that neither you nor they may do amiss Besides the weakness and levity nay the folly and wickedness it is a rude contempt of those whom you have the greatest reason to esteem and will be so judged at the dreadful day of our Lord to hearken to the voice of strangers and give a perfect credit to them without so much as consulting the judgment of those with whom you have been long acquainted Be not guilty I beseech you of such unmanly and unmannerly behaviour Do not so much as admit the beginning of a doubt about your Religion without acquainting some of them with it that they may resolve you and as St. Peter speaks 1 v. 12. exhort and testify to you that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand And in which you will always stand if you observe one thing more which in truth is the greatest of all Fourthly Live in